Retrieving a second-grade elixir from his ring and handing it to the man, Xiao Ling said, "I'll take my companion to rest first. You wait here for a moment. I'll take me to see your leader later."
Seeing this, the man pocketed the elixir, his expression becoming more respectful. He nodded to Xiao Ling, indicating that he understood.
Finding a deserted room, Xiao Ling led the drowsy Zi Yan inside.
As soon as Zi Yan entered, she staggered into the bedroom.
"Xiao Ling, good night..." she muttered drowsily, then walked to the bed, lying down on it, and fell asleep.
Xiao Ling followed her into the room. Seeing that Zi Yan was already asleep, he walked over to her, spread the quilt on the bed, and covered her with it.
He took a quick look around the room. While not particularly luxurious, it was clean and tidy, giving it a pleasant impression.
Since Zi Yan had already begun to rest, Xiao Ling decided to go see his two cousins.
After exiting the room, Xiao Ling nodded to the man and followed him out.
After walking for a few minutes through the mercenary compound, the two of them arrived at a spacious hall.
The man ushered Xiao Ling in, greeted him, and then turned and left.
Xiao Ling slowly walked toward the door. Just as he was about to push it open, it creaked and swung open.
A rather sturdy face suddenly appeared through the crack of the door.
The young man, dressed in mercenary attire, stood tall and strong. His dark eyes shone with a lazy and sinister look. A smile graced his face, but beneath it lay a wolfish ferocity. Clearly, while the young man appeared kind, he possessed the unwavering fierceness of a man who would bite back at anyone who dared to cross him.
This young man was Xiao Yan's second brother, Xiao Li.
The young man opened the door and stared at the boy who suddenly appeared before him. He was slightly startled, then he looked Xiao Ling up and down. Then, somewhat surprised, he said, "Cousin Xiao Ling, you've changed so much. If my men hadn't just told me your name, I wouldn't have recognized you."
He smiled and greeted Xiao Li, who replied, "After all, I left the Xiao family quite a while ago. Back then, I was just a child. Now I'm almost an adult, so it's natural that I've changed." As
Xiao Ling finished speaking, a somewhat elegant and easygoing voice rang out from within the room. "Second brother, quickly invite cousin Xiao Ling inside. Don't keep him standing outside."
Xiao Li had originally planned to take Xiao Ling to the battlefield for a sparring match. After all, they hadn't gathered any information about Xiao Ling yet. In Xiao Li's opinion, Xiao Ling was still too young. Even among the demons, he wouldn't be much stronger than him.
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Hearing his elder brother's urging, Xiao Li also gave up the idea of sparring with Xiao Ling.
"Come on, let's go in and see my elder brother first. He's very surprised to see you." With that, Xiao Li grabbed Xiao Ling's wrist and turned to rush into the hall.
As he walked into the hall, Xiao Ling's eyes were cast on the young man sitting at the head of the table. The young man was dressed in a white robe and was smiling at Xiao Ling as he entered the room. His eyes, brighter than those of ordinary people, revealed a bit of wisdom and subtle cunning.
This man was Xiao Yan's elder brother, Xiao Ding, the eldest son of the Xiao Clan, one of the Eight Ancient Clans.
"Cousin Xiao Ling, I didn't expect you to have changed so much after not seeing you for a few years. I almost didn't recognize you." Seeing Xiao Ling and Xiao Li enter the hall, Xiao Ding fixed his eyes on them and said with a smile.
Xiao Ling also stepped forward, smiling and greeting him, "Cousin Xiao Ding is becoming more and more graceful these days."
Although Xiao Ling and Xiao Yan didn't have a particularly good relationship within the Xiao family, that was largely due to Xiao Yan's temper at the time.
Because of Xiao Ling's approachable personality, he enjoyed a harmonious relationship with the Xiao family members. At the time, Xiao Ling and Xiao Li's cultivation levels were similar, and they often engaged in sparring matches.
Furthermore, during his years studying abroad at Canaan Academy, Xiao Ling had sent back a considerable amount of resources to the Xiao family. Xiao Ding and Xiao Li also learned the martial arts and fighting techniques that Xiao Ling sent back, and they could be considered to have benefited from Xiao Ling's kindness.
After Xiao Ling and Xiao Li sat down, Xiao Ding asked curiously, "Cousin Xiao Ling, shouldn't you be studying at Canaan College now? Why did you suddenly come to our small Shimo City?"
Hearing Xiao Ding's question, Xiao Ling didn't intend to hide it, and answered to the two brothers, "Not long ago, my cultivation level broke through the Dou Wang level. After studying for a few years, my alchemy skills have also reached the sixth level. Now I am an elder of the Alchemy Department of Canaan College. I left the college this time with the intention of looking for some opportunities in the Jia Ma Empire, and then return to my family."
After hearing Xiao Ling's answer, Xiao Ding and Xiao Li on the opposite side performed a wave of traditional Dou Qi Continent arts and took a breath of cold air.
Xiao Ding's mind was more flexible than Xiao Li's. Hearing that Xiao Ling was actually a sixth-grade alchemist, he hurriedly asked anxiously: "Cousin Xiao Ling, since you are now a sixth-grade alchemist, can you help my third brother check his body? His strange physique has caused his cultivation to drop to the third stage of Dou Qi, and he has not made any progress in the past two and a half years."
Xiao Li, who was still in shock, immediately reacted after hearing what Xiao Ding said. He looked at Xiao Ling with eager eyes and said in a hurried tone: "Yes, cousin Xiao Ling, since you are already a sixth-grade alchemist, you can definitely help my third brother restore his talent for cultivation. That fourth-grade alchemist named Mitchell doesn't understand anything. As long as you can cure my third brother, you can ask me to do anything!"
Xiao Ding and Xiao Li both loved Xiao Yan very much. The reason why they came to the Tagor Desert to establish the Desert Iron Mercenary Group was to support Xiao Yan. If Xiao Yan fails to reach the seventh stage of Dou Qi during his coming-of-age ceremony, he will be disqualified from entering the Dou Qi Pavilion to seek Dou Qi techniques and will be assigned to various family businesses to manage mundane matters. This is the family rule, and even if Xiao Yan's father is the clan leader, it cannot be changed!
After calming the two men's somewhat impatient emotions, Xiao Ling said calmly, "Don't worry, cousins. When I return to the Xiao family, I will go to check Xiao Yan's body. With Xiao Yan's talent, it won't be long before his cultivation surpasses yours."
(End of this chapter)